Safety barriers are often used to separate opposite traffic ways when there is not enough space to provide a medium therebetween. More commonly, safety barriers are used during the construction of streets, roads and highways to redirect and separate opposite traffic ways. For example, when repairing dual lane divided highways, it is common to redirect traffic to one side of the medium and separate traffic moving in opposing directions by a continuous line or row of concrete barriers which are placed end-to-end and coupled together.
In rural areas, small animals such as racoons, opossums, foxes, etc. may wonder across roads and highways at regular crossing points. When barriers are positioned along such roads and highways, the small animals can become trapped in traffic lanes and killed. These animals may be unfamiliar with or unsuspecting of such barriers while merely attempting to cross roads and highways at points that they have concluded to be safe, based upon past crossing experiences. The present inventor has noted unusually high numbers of dead animals on highways immediately after barriers have been installed. Similar problems can also occur in urban areas where squirrels, pets and other small domestic and non-domestic animals habitually cross streets and roads.
The present invention provides barrier and barricade structures which include passageways through which small animals can pass, and thereby avoid being struck and killed by vehicular traffic.